Compare the2021 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2021 MINI Cooper Clubman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Trailblazer are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Trailblazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Trailblazer’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Trailblazer (except L)’s optional blind spot warning system uses digital cameras monitored by computer to alert the driver to moving objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing safer, the Trailblazer (except L)’s optional cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Trailblazer and the Cooper Clubman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Trailblazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Clubman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Clubman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 24 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 6th.

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer gets better fuel mileage than the Cooper Clubman:

Regardless of its engine, the Trailblazer’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) MINI only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Cooper Clubman Auto.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Trailblazer uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cooper Clubman requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trailblazer higher (7 out of 10) than the MINI Cooper Clubman (3 to 7). This means the Trailblazer produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cooper Clubman every 15,000 miles.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Cooper Clubman.

A nine-speed automatic is on the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Clubman.

The Trailblazer has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Trailblazer stops shorter than the Cooper Clubman:

The Trailblazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the MINI Cooper Clubman.

The Trailblazer has .7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 5.1 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Clubman.

The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 17.5 cubic feet). The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 47.9 cubic feet).

The Trailblazer’s cargo area is larger than the Cooper Clubman’s in almost every dimension:

The Trailblazer’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Cooper Clubman’s two swing out doors impair rear visibility, need a lot of clearance, and can block loading in tight quarters.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The Trailblazer has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper Clubman has no towing capacity.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior, with the optional automatic climate control feature. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Trailblazer’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Cooper Clubman’s available power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Keyless Access standard on the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The MINI Cooper Clubman’s Comfort Access doesn’t unlock the trunk.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Trailblazer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Cooper Clubman only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS has standard extendable sun visors. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.